I did a little experimenting today and came up with curry tortillas. Now I'm starting to dream up ways to fill them (I ate them with soup tonight).
Curry Tortillas
(I apologize, but I didn't measure any of this. I totally winged it.)
two generous handfuls of flour
salt (about 1/2 tsp, maybe less, maybe more)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tbsp butter
approximately 2 to 3 tbsp warm water
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt and curry powder with a fork.
Using hands, rub the butter into the flour until it's well mixed. (Like making pie crust).
Add the water 1 tbsp at a time, stirring with the fork.
Add enough water so that the dough forms a ball.
I divided the dough into four equal parts.
On a lightly floured board, roll out one part of the dough until thin.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, turn the heat down to medium.
Place the rolled out tortilla on the hot skillet; cook approximately 30 seconds on each side (adjust this time to how well they are getting cooked and how hot your skillet is).
Remove cooked tortilla from the skillet and keep warm while you roll out and cook the remaining tortillas.
One of these I cooked over a lower heat for a longer time and I found it dried out a bit in the center and was very similar to a cracker. That gives me some ideas...
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Pancakes with Banana Sauce
I forgot to get syrup at the store last weekend. So I made pancakes and used two ripe bananas to make a sauce for them. If you like banana bread, you'll like this.
Pancakes (enough for 2 to 3 people)
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
Allow to sit while you make the banana sauce.
Once the banana sauce is started, heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, lower heat to medium to medium-low.
Use a paper towel to spread some shortening on the skillet before the first pancakes go on.
Using 1/4 c measuring spoon, put three measures of pancake batter on the skillet.
Once pancakes are bubbly and starting to just dry along the edges, flip. Do not press down on the pancakes - that makes them flat.
Allow to cook on other side a few moments, remove and add more pancake batter to the skillet.
I keep the pancakes warm by putting them on a plate covered with aluminum foil.
Banana Sauce
2 ripe bananas that have started getting a lot of brown spots
1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
Put bananas in a sauce pan and mash.
Add sugar and molasses and stir.
Cook over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.
Stir in the salt and butter.
Once butter is melted, turn off the heat and allow to cool a bit before serving.
Pancakes (enough for 2 to 3 people)
1 1/4 c buttermilk
1 egg
1 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg.
Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
Allow to sit while you make the banana sauce.
Once the banana sauce is started, heat a skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
Once the skillet is hot, lower heat to medium to medium-low.
Use a paper towel to spread some shortening on the skillet before the first pancakes go on.
Using 1/4 c measuring spoon, put three measures of pancake batter on the skillet.
Once pancakes are bubbly and starting to just dry along the edges, flip. Do not press down on the pancakes - that makes them flat.
Allow to cook on other side a few moments, remove and add more pancake batter to the skillet.
I keep the pancakes warm by putting them on a plate covered with aluminum foil.
Banana Sauce
2 ripe bananas that have started getting a lot of brown spots
1/4 c sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter
Put bananas in a sauce pan and mash.
Add sugar and molasses and stir.
Cook over medium-high heat, bring to a boil.
Stir in the salt and butter.
Once butter is melted, turn off the heat and allow to cool a bit before serving.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
My New Spin on Chicken Salad
Let me start by saying that while the posts about food have been lacking in photographic evidence, you should be thanking me for that. Seriously, I don't think I've ever taken more unappetizing pictures ever before. So, until I have the foresight to actually set aside part of the meal so that I can take a picture of it in good light, not to mention remember that I'm supposed to take the picture the next day, you don't want to see the dark, slightly disgusting pictures I've been taking lately.
That aside, let us get to today's meal. Actually, tonight I had leftover greens and rice and cooked some Cajun salmon to go with it. But, the other night I made chicken salad, but added a little something-something to make it extra tasty. I've been eating it for lunch all week and I still haven't tired of it. Good thing, too, since I have a lot left still!
Lemon-Thyme Chicken Salad
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp dried or fresh thyme (fresh would probably be a lot tastier, but I only had dried in the house)
salt (as needed)
3/4 lb brussel sprouts, shredded and rinsed well
6 good sized carrots, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
12 oz small shell pasta
1/2 c mayonnaise
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp thyme
good pinch of cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
Put chicken breasts in a pot, cover with water, add salt and thyme and cook until done. Allow to cool.
While the chicken is cooking, put on a large pot of water to boil.
Once water in second pot is boiling, add salt, stir, then add pasta.
Cook pasta until done, drain and rinse in cold water until cool.
While pasta and chicken are cooking, prepare the brussel sprouts and carrots.
Put brussel sprouts in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with a bit of salt (not too much, maybe 1/4 tsp) and about the same amount of sugar.
Also while other things are cooking, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, cayenne pepper, and pepper (and salt if desired) in a bowl and set aside.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.
Add carrots, pasta and chicken to the shredded brussel sprouts.
Add the dressing and stir until well coated.
Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
That aside, let us get to today's meal. Actually, tonight I had leftover greens and rice and cooked some Cajun salmon to go with it. But, the other night I made chicken salad, but added a little something-something to make it extra tasty. I've been eating it for lunch all week and I still haven't tired of it. Good thing, too, since I have a lot left still!
Lemon-Thyme Chicken Salad
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp dried or fresh thyme (fresh would probably be a lot tastier, but I only had dried in the house)
salt (as needed)
3/4 lb brussel sprouts, shredded and rinsed well
6 good sized carrots, peeled, quartered and sliced thin
1/4 to 1/2 tsp sugar
12 oz small shell pasta
1/2 c mayonnaise
juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp thyme
good pinch of cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
Put chicken breasts in a pot, cover with water, add salt and thyme and cook until done. Allow to cool.
While the chicken is cooking, put on a large pot of water to boil.
Once water in second pot is boiling, add salt, stir, then add pasta.
Cook pasta until done, drain and rinse in cold water until cool.
While pasta and chicken are cooking, prepare the brussel sprouts and carrots.
Put brussel sprouts in a large serving bowl, sprinkle with a bit of salt (not too much, maybe 1/4 tsp) and about the same amount of sugar.
Also while other things are cooking, mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, thyme, cayenne pepper, and pepper (and salt if desired) in a bowl and set aside.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces.
Add carrots, pasta and chicken to the shredded brussel sprouts.
Add the dressing and stir until well coated.
Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
The Other Half
The same night I put the roast in the crock pot, I decided to cook the rest of it on top of the stove. The results were forgettable. So much so, I had to sit here and attempt to remember what I had done with the rest of it.
I believe I started the dish by cubing the beef. I heated some oil in a cast iron pan on the stove and added the beef and some chopped onion. I think I added thyme and, when the meat was nearly done, some chopped mushrooms. I deglazed with red wine and at the last second threw in a chopped tomato (so that it would warm but not disappear). The meat was tough and the flavor was lacking. I ate it all, over the next few days as lunch, but this definitely needs some work before I would actually serve it to other people. Although, the chances of my serving other people food in my house any time soon are very slim. Moving from an efficiency to a one-bedroom makes one realize how sparse their belongings are.
I believe I started the dish by cubing the beef. I heated some oil in a cast iron pan on the stove and added the beef and some chopped onion. I think I added thyme and, when the meat was nearly done, some chopped mushrooms. I deglazed with red wine and at the last second threw in a chopped tomato (so that it would warm but not disappear). The meat was tough and the flavor was lacking. I ate it all, over the next few days as lunch, but this definitely needs some work before I would actually serve it to other people. Although, the chances of my serving other people food in my house any time soon are very slim. Moving from an efficiency to a one-bedroom makes one realize how sparse their belongings are.
Garlic Ginger Beef
Last week I had a roast that needed to be cooked, but I still haven't gotten around to re-cleaning my oven, so I couldn't roast it. So, instead I cut it in half and put half of it in a crock pot (my crock pot is very small) with 6 crushed cloves of garlic, 2 inches of ginger, peeled and sliced, 1 cup vegetable broth, and enough water to cover. It cooked overnight and was absolutely delicious. The flavor might be a bit strong for some people, in which case you would need to reduce the amount of garlic and ginger.
I ate the roast two ways. One was in a salad of green leaf lettuce with a ginger and sesame dressing (also made by me, but I can't recall what I put in it beyond grated ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, and brown rice vinegar). I also sliced the roast thinly and piled it on french bread with some Russian kale and freshly ground black pepper. This was an easy way to make a very versatile base for meals. I think I might do this again and make a pasta salad out of it.
I ate the roast two ways. One was in a salad of green leaf lettuce with a ginger and sesame dressing (also made by me, but I can't recall what I put in it beyond grated ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, and brown rice vinegar). I also sliced the roast thinly and piled it on french bread with some Russian kale and freshly ground black pepper. This was an easy way to make a very versatile base for meals. I think I might do this again and make a pasta salad out of it.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Cajun Salmon, Rice and Collard Greens
I made Cajun salmon again tonight. I've never made salmon any other way and I really must try something new, but I just love Cajun salmon. I also boiled rice and sauteed some collard greens. The combination of spicy, sweet, and slightly salty was very nice.
Boiled Rice
water to fill medium sauce pan
1/2 cup rice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp butter
Bring water to a boil.
Add rice and salt and boil until tender (the water should not all cook off, it should be like boiling pasta - too much water for the rice).
Drain in a sieve, then put back in the pan.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Collard Greens
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 c red onion, sliced thin
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large bunch collard greens, torn and washed well
2 tsp to 1 tbsp honey
Heat pan over medium to medium-high heat and add ghee.
Once ghee is hot, add onion and saute for one minute.
Add garlic clove and red pepper and saute until onions are translucent.
Add collard greens and cover, stirring occasionally.
Once greens are too desired tenderness (I don't like mushy greens, so I leave a little bite), drizzle with honey and stir.
Boiled Rice
water to fill medium sauce pan
1/2 cup rice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp butter
Bring water to a boil.
Add rice and salt and boil until tender (the water should not all cook off, it should be like boiling pasta - too much water for the rice).
Drain in a sieve, then put back in the pan.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Collard Greens
1 tbsp ghee
1/4 c red onion, sliced thin
1 large garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 large bunch collard greens, torn and washed well
2 tsp to 1 tbsp honey
Heat pan over medium to medium-high heat and add ghee.
Once ghee is hot, add onion and saute for one minute.
Add garlic clove and red pepper and saute until onions are translucent.
Add collard greens and cover, stirring occasionally.
Once greens are too desired tenderness (I don't like mushy greens, so I leave a little bite), drizzle with honey and stir.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
New England, my new home
When I first moved to Maine, this is what greeted me. When I came to interview there was a horrible snow storm that dumped slush from the sky. I've seen slush on the ground, not falling from the sky. When I moved here, another huge storm hit. I started wondering if I would ever see sun in this place.
For a while I lived in Boston, so here are a couple images:
I also took an evening trip out to Providence to see a lovely friend of mine. I took almost no pictures, but I did get a picture of the State Capital Building.
My brother and sister-in-law invited me to go house hunting with them one weekend. I walked into one kitchen and it was eerily like my parents' kitchen...
...right down to the ugly floor...
I recently went up to Boothbay Harbor with my brother and sister-in-law. It was very cute. I took my dog because I wanted him to be able to get out and run around. We never actually made it to a place where he could run free, but he had lots of fun whining and yelping for sympathy as we went into shops or had the nerve to stop walking for a few seconds. He did get to beg for food though...
And some more pictures, just because:
For a while I lived in Boston, so here are a couple images:
I also took an evening trip out to Providence to see a lovely friend of mine. I took almost no pictures, but I did get a picture of the State Capital Building.
My brother and sister-in-law invited me to go house hunting with them one weekend. I walked into one kitchen and it was eerily like my parents' kitchen...
...right down to the ugly floor...
I recently went up to Boothbay Harbor with my brother and sister-in-law. It was very cute. I took my dog because I wanted him to be able to get out and run around. We never actually made it to a place where he could run free, but he had lots of fun whining and yelping for sympathy as we went into shops or had the nerve to stop walking for a few seconds. He did get to beg for food though...
And some more pictures, just because:
Internet can be an annoying thing
I've tried posting quite a few times between my last post and this one. Everytime I get it all typed up, my internet connection disappears. I wrote this a while ago, but here it is for you pleasure:
I am in heaven, or what I might imagine it to be like, if I believed in it. My kitchen is once again functioning. I am once again cooking for myself (not just having raisins and popcorn for dinner - yes, there are times when I consider that dinner). I went grocery shopping this weekend and bought a lot of staples and a few things to try.
A few weekends ago I went to my brother and sister-in-law's for the weekend and she made this awesome marinara sauce. I asked her for the "recipe" and sucessfully made that Sunday night, but I embellished the meal a bit.
Marinara Sauce
a good amoung of olive oil
1/2 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Once oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until starting to brown.
Add the whole can of tomatoes (juice and all) and stir.
Turn to medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for a half hour.
Add black pepper and stir.
To serve:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook enough fresh pasta to feed the number of people eating (obviously assuming you made enough marinara to cover said servings of pasta).
Drain pasta, divide into serving dishes.
Spoon marinara sauce over the pasta.
Serve with fresh basil, allowing each person to tear off as much basil as they would like.
I added a good scoop of ricotta cheese to mine as well (who can pass up a chance to add cheese?)\
[ETA: I used this base and made a spicy version the other night, cooking real pepperoni, sliced, in the oil for a bit with some ground black pepper and crushed red pepper before adding the garlic. It was good!)
Last night I made Indian food. Dal and curried eggplant. It was perfect. I'll also admit here that when I make ghee (very simple to do), I use salted butter. I'm a bit of a salt addict and I prefer the taste of this to the unsalted ghee. I will probably face further shame when I admit that I also spread the browned bits at the bottom of the pan on bread. It very salty and very tasty and I don't really care how bad it is for me; it's fabulous.
Tonight I made cajun salmon. (First time ever that I successfully cooked fish without overcooking it. I'm very proud of myself.) I also attempted to make cornbread (sweet version), but discovered that I must not have cleaned all of the oven cleaner off the heating elements in the oven. The fumes were horrible. I gave up (must fix that problem; first my oven was filthy - honestly why do people live like pigs and leave the next tenants to clean up after them? - now it's a cess pool of chemicals). Instead, I cooked the batter like pancakes. It worked very well for a last minute fix. I also made fiddlehead ferns for the first time ever. I'm in Maine now, and it's the season. I followed my lovely guide to produce's advice and cleaned the ferns, boiled them in salted water for five minutes, drained and seasoned with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper. I must say, I like ferns. They're yummy.
I love having my kitchen back.
I am in heaven, or what I might imagine it to be like, if I believed in it. My kitchen is once again functioning. I am once again cooking for myself (not just having raisins and popcorn for dinner - yes, there are times when I consider that dinner). I went grocery shopping this weekend and bought a lot of staples and a few things to try.
A few weekends ago I went to my brother and sister-in-law's for the weekend and she made this awesome marinara sauce. I asked her for the "recipe" and sucessfully made that Sunday night, but I embellished the meal a bit.
Marinara Sauce
a good amoung of olive oil
1/2 head of garlic, cloves peeled and crushed
1 large can whole, peeled tomatoes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat oil in a sauce pan over medium heat.
Once oil is hot, add the garlic and stir until starting to brown.
Add the whole can of tomatoes (juice and all) and stir.
Turn to medium-low heat and let simmer, stirring occasionally, for a half hour.
Add black pepper and stir.
To serve:
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook enough fresh pasta to feed the number of people eating (obviously assuming you made enough marinara to cover said servings of pasta).
Drain pasta, divide into serving dishes.
Spoon marinara sauce over the pasta.
Serve with fresh basil, allowing each person to tear off as much basil as they would like.
I added a good scoop of ricotta cheese to mine as well (who can pass up a chance to add cheese?)\
[ETA: I used this base and made a spicy version the other night, cooking real pepperoni, sliced, in the oil for a bit with some ground black pepper and crushed red pepper before adding the garlic. It was good!)
Last night I made Indian food. Dal and curried eggplant. It was perfect. I'll also admit here that when I make ghee (very simple to do), I use salted butter. I'm a bit of a salt addict and I prefer the taste of this to the unsalted ghee. I will probably face further shame when I admit that I also spread the browned bits at the bottom of the pan on bread. It very salty and very tasty and I don't really care how bad it is for me; it's fabulous.
Tonight I made cajun salmon. (First time ever that I successfully cooked fish without overcooking it. I'm very proud of myself.) I also attempted to make cornbread (sweet version), but discovered that I must not have cleaned all of the oven cleaner off the heating elements in the oven. The fumes were horrible. I gave up (must fix that problem; first my oven was filthy - honestly why do people live like pigs and leave the next tenants to clean up after them? - now it's a cess pool of chemicals). Instead, I cooked the batter like pancakes. It worked very well for a last minute fix. I also made fiddlehead ferns for the first time ever. I'm in Maine now, and it's the season. I followed my lovely guide to produce's advice and cleaned the ferns, boiled them in salted water for five minutes, drained and seasoned with lemon juice, butter, salt and pepper. I must say, I like ferns. They're yummy.
I love having my kitchen back.
Friday, June 8, 2007
Green Salad with Creamy Curry Vinaigrette
I just discovered my new favorite salad. I had some left over chicken breast from some chicken soup I made the other night. I only put the dark meat in the soup, so I had two breasts to use in other meals. I created this salad from things I had around the house (I haven't been purchasing many things lately, mostly due to lack of time).
1/3 c plain yogurt
2 tsp brown rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
4 to 5 leaves lettuce (torn and washed)
1/2 chicken breast, chopped
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
Mix the yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt and curry powder together. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients. Combine lettuce, chicken, walnuts, and pear in a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss (or stir carefully if you're kitchen accident prone like me).
I have a suspicion that I would love this salad even more with currants instead of pear, but pears were what I had at the time.
I've also been making orange yogurt by mixing plain yogurt with a spoonful of marmalade. It's delicious (especially if you use full fat yogurt).
I'm mostly settled into my new town, so the possibility of my posting more often will definitely increase. Nothing made me happier than unpacking all of my kitchen things! Well, a few things are still in boxes because I have almost no counter space and it's taking me a while to wash and put away everything. Plus, there isn't enough cabinet space for all of my kitchen stuff. I think my first investment will be a small, movable island for the kitchen. Who cares if I have a huge living room which currently houses 1 chair, 1 coffee table, 1 end table and a ton of boxes of books? I need to cook!
1/3 c plain yogurt
2 tsp brown rice vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp curry powder
4 to 5 leaves lettuce (torn and washed)
1/2 chicken breast, chopped
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
Mix the yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt and curry powder together. Let sit while you prepare the other ingredients. Combine lettuce, chicken, walnuts, and pear in a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss (or stir carefully if you're kitchen accident prone like me).
I have a suspicion that I would love this salad even more with currants instead of pear, but pears were what I had at the time.
I've also been making orange yogurt by mixing plain yogurt with a spoonful of marmalade. It's delicious (especially if you use full fat yogurt).
I'm mostly settled into my new town, so the possibility of my posting more often will definitely increase. Nothing made me happier than unpacking all of my kitchen things! Well, a few things are still in boxes because I have almost no counter space and it's taking me a while to wash and put away everything. Plus, there isn't enough cabinet space for all of my kitchen stuff. I think my first investment will be a small, movable island for the kitchen. Who cares if I have a huge living room which currently houses 1 chair, 1 coffee table, 1 end table and a ton of boxes of books? I need to cook!
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